Dr. Vemula obtained masters (M.Sc., Org. Chem.) degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad and Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in Organic Chemistry (2005). Subsequently he carried out over two years postdoctoral research at the City College of New York and over four years at Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology in Harvard Medical School in affiliation with Brigham and Women's Hospital. In 2009, he was selected as one of the thirteen fellows in the USA for the prestigious postdoctoral entrepreneur fellowship from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he received exposure to entrepreneurial education and closely worked with the foundation to commercialize the biomedical technologies.
Dr. Vemula's research interests are in the fields of drug discovery and drug delivery through biomaterials and translation science. He is an Assistant Investigator at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (BRIC-inStem), Bangalore. Several technologies developed by his team have formed the foundation for multiple products on the market and currently under development and for the launch of Eight startup companies including, Sepio Health, Artus Therapeutics, Color Threads, NeeDel Innovations, CaptureBio, Sturnus Biotech, Skintifique and Alivio Therapeutics.
His laboratory has been funded by multiple foundations, companies, and governmental funding agencies including Artus Therapeutics, Manus Biosciences, Department of Defence, USA, the Lady Tata Memorial Trust, the Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistant Council), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
Vemula’s work has been discussed in hundreds of newspapers, online websites, television newscasts, and radio shows around the world including The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, NBC, Boston Globe, LA Times, BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, The Hindu, The Times of India, Deccan Herald and many more.
At present, Vemula’s lab is focusing to develop biomaterials and bioengineering concepts to solve huge unmet clinical needs including protection of transplanted organs, developing therapeutics for inflammatory/infectious diseases and prevention of pesticide-induced lethality.
Is there any secret-recipe for successful science-entrepreneurship? ( Opinion written to IndiaBiosciences )
Vemula gave a series of TEDx talks and interviews to discuss the roadmap to Translational Research and its impact on society
1. TEDx at IIT-Gandhinagar April 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBrU2cNJvNc
2. TEDx at KIITUniversity March 2019
3. TEDx at Siddaganga Institute of Technology 2019
An interview about STEAM education with Santosh Avvannavar, QtPi Robotics 2019
Contact:
praveenv AT instem.res.in
Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (BRIC-inStem)
UAS-GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065
Ph: +91-80-61948326
Awards, Fellowships and Academic Service (selective)
2025 - Sun Pharma Science Foundation Research Fellowship 2025 Award (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
2025 - CRSI Bronze Medal 2025 from Chemical Research Society of India
2024 - CRS Research and Innovation Excellence Award (Chirantan Rasayan Samithi)
2024 - Institute of Chemical Technology-Royal Society of Chemistry (ICT-RSC) Innovation Award 2024
2023 - National Biotechnology Innovation Award - 2023 (Dept. of Biotechnology)
2020 - Biotech Product, Process Development and Commercialisation Award (Dept. of Biotechnology)
2019 – Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award 2019 for Graduate Student, Ketan Thorat, from Vemula’s lab for developing anti-pesticide technology
2012 Ramalingaswami ReEntry Fellowship 2011-12 by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India
2011 Excellence in Research Award, Fall 2011 awards, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Med. Sch.
2010 MIT $100K Business Plan Competition finalist, and runner-up, May 2010
Track Winner ($20,000, Product and Services) at MIT $100K Business Plan Competition, 2010.
2009 Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Postdoctoral Fellow
(One of the thirteen recipients in USA for cross-disciplinary fellowship)
2006 Best cover page of the year-2006, Royal Society of Chemistry Journal Soft Matter
Apart from science, badminton is my passion. I just love that game!
(Disclaimer: The quality of the game is not necessarily proportional to the level of passion!!!)